South African Court Awaits Government Response to Bashir Exit

Monday was the deadline for a seven-day period given by a South African court for the government to explain why it defied its order to detain Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

Bashir is under two indictments by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

South Africa’s main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on the public prosecutor to investigate the government’s decision not arrest Bashir.

James Selfe, chairperson of the DA’s federal executive, said there is evidence of an “elaborate and well-coordinated plot” by President Jacob Zuma’s office and security services to facilitate Bashir’s departure.

“Our party believes that there are very serious issues at stake here, not only because [South Africa is] signatory of the Rome Statute and one of the countries that has incorporated that statute into our domestic law, we allowed President al-Bashir into the country, we did not arrest him, [and] we did not give him up to the International Criminal Court,” he said.